Dueling Texans

Dueling— two men shooting pistols at each other from a predetermined distance— was a serious issue during the Republic of Texas years. The republic lost a fair number of officers to this form of unfriendly friendly fire. The editor of the Austin Sentinelnewspaper responded to an 1837 duel between two army officers by writing, “We would opine that there was enough fighting to be had on the frontier without resorting to private combats.”

Texas passed a bill that outlawed dueling in 1840 and for the next 99 years all state officials were required to take an oath asserting that they had never taken part in a duel. Albert Sidney Johnston, Commander in Chief of the Texas Army following Sam Houston, was responsible for enforcing the army’s ban on dueling. He once had to slap the pistol from one officer’s hand to keep him from shooting another officer. 

Another time a colonel called on Johnston to serve as an impartial judge in an impending duel with a rival officer. Before Johnston could remind the colonel that dueling was against army regulations, the other duelist arrived and opened fire. But when it came to defending his own honor, Johnson did not let a challenge go unanswered. When General Felix Huston challenged Johnston to a duel, Johnston accepted. 

Johnston and Huston could both be termed “Fighting Kentuckians” since both men hailed for that state. Their duel came on Feb. 5, 1837, not long after Sam Houston appointed Johnston as the Texas Army’s senior brigadier general, making him the Army commander. Huston was forced to relinquish command by becoming a junior brigadier general. 

Huston’s foul mood over the matter turned murderous when Johnston had the general order announcing his appointment read to the assembled troops. Huston was so offended by what he viewed as a public embarrassment that he challenged Johnston to a duel. Johnston, the man charged with stopping dueling in the army, accepted. 

The duelists met on the banks of the Lavaca River in Jackson County, near a large oak tree that has become known as Dueling Oak, to settle the matter. In recognition of Huston’s reputation as an expert marksman, Johnson’s second (sort of a second-string reserve duelist) suggested that the two men agree to fire at each other from the hip. 

Johnston intended to wait until Huston took aim before firing his own pistol, hoping the sound of his gun would upset Huston’s aim and timing. Johnston and Huston each fired three times at the other until, on the third exchange, Huston shot Johnston through the hip. 

The attending physician, noting that the ball had injured Johnston’s sciatic nerve, assured Johnston he was going to die. 

Huston approached his fallen foe, offered condolences and said he would be happy to serve under him anywhere. How much comfort this actually gave Johnston we don’t know, but he never held the duel or its results against Huston. 

Johnston lingered near death for several days but eventually recovered and resumed command of the Texas troops. He would go on to wider fame as a Confederate General during the Civil War. Huston soon left the Texas Army and returned to the United States. 

Not everybody accepted a challenge to duel. If such records were kept, Houston would certainly be the hands-down winner for most challenges to a duel declined. He responded to one challenge by saying, “This is number 24. The angry gentleman must wait his turn.” 

When a man known to us as Nearsighted W.T. Jack was challenged to a duel he agreed but only if the duel took place with shotguns across a table. Under those terms, dueling would never have been a problem in Texas or anywhere else.